Trolley-contactor.



C. H. MURRELL.

TROLLEY CONTACTOR.

APPLICATION men N0v.27. 1914.

1,231,41 3 Patented June 26, 1917.

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CLIFFORDH. MURRELL, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

TROLLEY-CONTAGTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 191?.

Application filed November 27, 1914 Serial No. 874,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD H. MUR- RELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Roanoke, Roanoke county, Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Trolley-Contactors, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a trolley actuated switch which in addition to being simple, substantial and relatively inexpensive, shall have its parts so arranged that it shall be mechanically closed by the trolley wheel before the circuit of which it forms a part is closed and opened only after said circuit has been'broken-at some other point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double throw trolley actuated switch having the above noted characteristics, which shall be caused to close an opening in one branch circuit before current is free to flow to said circuit from the trolley Wheel when the latter is moving in one direction and likewise close an opening in another branch circuit when the trolley wheel is moving in the opposite direction.

It is also desired to provide atrolley contactor including two switches having a common movable member or having their movable members connected to a common movable piece, which shall have its parts so constructed and assembled as to make it im possible for a trolley wheel moving in one direction to cause closure of more than one of said switches, the design of the apparatus being such as to eflectually prevent the rebound of the movable switch member under operating conditions.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a form of trolley contactor which, by virtue of the fact that its circuit or circuits are always closed and opened between a trolley wheel and an easily replaceable member of simple construction, shall be durable and not likely to get out of order or require frequent attention or repairs.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafterset forth, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a trolley contactor constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is. a transverse vertical section showing the runner as engaged by the trolley wheel;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the movable contact member.

In the above drawings 1 represents the supporting frame or bed-plate preferably carried upon or from a trolley wire or other current conductor 2 by suitable suspension ears 3. Slidably guided on the top of the bed-plate 1 is a contact slide 4 which in the present instance is mounted in an undercut longitudinally extending recess of said plate and has the form of a longitudinally slotted rectangular body of metal carrying a current conductor. It is noted that this contact member is guided in its recess so that it is free to move longitudinally for a short dis tance, in the present instance from one-half to three-quarters of an inch and is retained therein by undercut strips 1 removably held tothe top face of the bed-plate.

The device may also be held in place and properly positioned by suitable means inde pendent of the trolley wire and for this purpose has at each side one or more plates or lugs 25, to the lower edges of which are pivoted or hinged plates 26 designed for connection to span or pull-off wires 27. These latter plates each has mounted in it an adjusting screw 28 provided with suitable jam or retaining nuts and placed to cooperate with a laterally extending member 29 projecting from the upper part of the bed-plate or frame.

At the end of the recess for this slide 1 are mounted fixed contacts 5 and 6 arranged to overhang the same and suitably insulated from the bed-plate 1 if this is of metal. To these two fixed contacts are respectively connected the conductors 7 and 8 leading to the two operating circuits to which it is de sired to supply current under predetermined conditions and it is noted that said contacts are so mounted that they respectively engage the opposite ends of the sliding contact 4 when this is at the ends of its recess in the bed-plate, though obviously but one of said contacts can be engaged at the same time.

Suspended from the central part of the supporting structure 1 by a pair of bolts 9 and 10 is a fiat metallic runner or contact plate 11. having its ends slightly upturned and carried parallel with and immediately above the trolley wire 2 in such position as to be electrically engaged by a trolley wheel running on said wire, it being obvious that the form and construction of this member may be widely varied without departing from my invention. The bolts 9 and 10 are mounted to slide vertically through holes in the structure 1 and are provided with springs 12 between it and the plate 11 so that the latter is at all times maintained in a position adjacent the trolley wire, while free to be moved toward or from the supporting structure 1 when engaged by the trolley wheel 13. The bolt 9 is electrically connected to the slide 4 by a flexible conductor 19. In order to prevent accidental contact between the trolley wire 2 and the runner plate 11, I mount a body of insulation 1 1 on its under face thereby insuring that current will, flow from said wire to the runner only through a trolley wheel.

Adjacent each end of the slot of the sliding contact 4 is mounted a transverse abutment in the shape of a roller 15 and the supporting structure or bed-plate 1 is vertically slotted adjacent the ends of said slide for the reception of a pair of operating members in the shape of two pendulums l6 and 17. These are formed of slightly elongated bars or blocks of suitable material preferably forked at their lower ends and hung in their respective slots of the supporting structure on pivot pins 18, their length being such that they are engaged and swung from the vertical in one direction or the other by a trolley wheel 13 passing under them in engagement with the trolley wire 2. The mounting of these pendulums is such that the one indicated at 17, adjacent the fixed contact 6 is swung in such a direction by a trolley wheel 13 moving in the direction indicated by the arrow, as to engage the roller 15 on the contact slide 1 and move the latter longitudinally into engagement with said contact which frictionally holds it from rebounding.

The proportions and arrangement of parts is such that under operating conditions the electrical engagement of the end of the slide t with the contact 6 takes place before the trolley wheel can possibly strike the runner plate 11, and when this latter condition exists, current is free to How from the trolley wire 2 through said wheel to the runner plate 11, through the bolt 9 and flexible connection 19 to the slidable contact 4. From thence the current then flows to the fixed contact 6 and the conductor 8 of one of the operating circuits.

The passage of the trolley wheel 13 out of engagement with the pendulum 17 permits the latter to return to its normal vertical position without opening the switch and obviously current flows to the conductor 8 as long as said trolley wheel remains in engagement with the runner plate 11. This latter is held by said trolley wheel in an elevated position against the action of the springs 12 which therefore insure good contact between these parts. The movement of the trolley wheel into engagement with the second pendulum swings this from its norinal position into the inclined position shown in dotted lines without afiec-ting the contact slide 4.

As a result of the above construction it will be noted that one operating circuit, while closed at the switch formed by the contacts 16, is not complete so as to be supplied with current until the trolley wheel 13 actually engages the runner plate 11, so that any arcing occurring on completion of the circuit takes place between these latter elements and not between the contacts of the switch. Since the latter remains closed after the trolley wheel has passed out of engagement with the runner plate 11, the operating circuit is broken between said plate and said wheel so that the switch et6 is not injured or caused in any way to deteriorate even by prolonged use.

The trolley wheel of a second car moving in the direction of the arrow will again swing the pendulum 17 on its spindle or pivot without again operating the cont-act plate 41 and supplies current to the above noted branch circuit as long as it remains in engagement with the plate 11.

The trolley wheel of a car moving in a direction opposite to that indicated, will strike the pendulum 16 and swing it in such manner as to cause it, through the adjacent roller 15, to move the contact slide 4 out of engagement with the fixed con tact 6 into engagement with the fixed con tact 5. Thereafter the trolley wheel comes into engagement with the runner plate 11 and supplies current from the trolley wire to this previously closed switch 4:-5 and to a second branch circuit connected to the conductor 7. In this case the pendulum 17 is merely swung on its spindle without actuating the common contact member 4 which remains in engagement with the contact 5.

The ends of the pendulums 16 and 17 which engage the roller 15 are preferably branched as shown and it is noted that the apparatus operates satisfactorily regardless of the speed at which the trolley wheel is movin when it en a es the endulums D C b 7 because of the fact that the movable parts are relatively light and are caused'to move through relatively small distances.

Since all arcing and consequent injury to the apparatus from longcontinued use occurs solely between the runner plate-11 and the trolley wheels and as this plate is the only portion which requires either attention or repair, it may obviously be replaced with the utmost convenience and with but little expense.

By means of the construction above described, I have found by practical test that one of the serious objections to trolley contactors as hitherto made has been obviated, to wit, when the sliding contact t has been moved by one of the pendulums so as to close a branch circuit, for example, that including the contact 6, there is no possibility of said movable contact rebounding even if the pendulum be engaged by a trolley wheel moving at high speed. In every instance the contact 4 is moved in a direction opposite that to which the trolley wheel is moving and it is frictionally held in engagement with the fixed contact after striking the same until moved in the opposite direction by the pendulum 16.

After the apparatus has been mounted at the desired point on a trolley wire, suitable wires 27 are connected to the hinged plates 26 and the screws 28 are adjusted toward or from the projecting members 29 so that the parts are leveled or caused to occupy the proper relative positions. Obviously a cover of any suitable form and construction such as that indicated in dotted lines and shown as partly raised at 30 in Fig. 2, may be provided to protect the top portions of the apparatus described and shown, though it may be omitted without departing from my invention. It is also to be understood that my invention contemplates any changes in the form of the pendulum which may be necessary to suit them for use with various styles of contact bows or shoes.

I claim 1. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure carried thereby; a member mounted on said structure in position to be normally disconnected from the wire but electrically connected with the wire by a trolley wheel; an electric switch mounted on the supporting structure and including an element slidable longitudinally of the wire and electrically connected to said member; with an operating element for the switch mounted in position to be actuated by a trolley wheel before the latter electrically engages said member.

2. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure; an electric switch including a slidable contact mounted on said structure to be movable longitudinally of the trolley wire; an operating member pivoted to the supporting structure in position to cause movement of said contact and closure of the switch when said member is moved in one direction by a trolley wheel; with a runner member electrically connected to said movable contact and placed to be connected by the trolley wheel to the trolley wire after said wheel has caused movement of the slidable contact to close the switch.

3. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure; two switches thereon including a common contact slidable in a line substantially parallel to that of the trolley wire; and means actuated by a trolley wheel for mechanically operating said contact to close one switch when the wheel moves in one direction and to close the other switch when said wheel moves in the opposite direction.

4. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wheel; a supporting structure; two switches on said structure including a contact member longitudinally slidable thereon; two elements on the supporting structure and extending into positions to be actuated by a trolley wheel operating on the trolley wire, for respectively moving said contact in opposite directions; with means for causing current to be supplied to said movable contact only after one of said elements has been engaged by the trolley wheel.

5. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure; a runner member carried by said structure in position to be connected to the wire by a trolley wheel; two operating elements eX- tending adjacent the trolley wire at the ends of said runner member; two electric switches on the supporting structure including a con tact member movable longitudinally of said structure by either of said operating elements; and means for connecting said contact with the runner member.

6. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure; an electric switch thereon, including a slidably guided contact movable in a line substantially parallel with the trolley wire; a pendulum mounted on the structure in position to move the contact to close the switch when swung in one direction; a runner plate mounted adjacent the trolley wire in position to be electrically connected thereto by a trolley wheel after it has operated the switch through said pendulum; with means for electrically connecting said runner plate to the switch.

7 The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure; two switches mounted on said structure and including a common movable contact in the form of an elongated member slidable in a line substantially parallel with the trolley wire; two pendulums hung from the supporting structure in positions to be engaged by a trolley wheel and respectively placed to move the slidable member in opposite directions to close the two switches; with a runner plate carried on the supporting struc ture between said pendulums in position to be electrically connected to the trolley wire by a trolley wheel after the latter has swung one of the pendulums to close one of the switches.

' 8. The combination in a trolley contactor of a trolley wire; a supporting structure mounted thereon and having an elongated recess in its top surface; a longitudinally slotted contact member mounted to slide in said recess parallel to the trolley wire; two independent fixed contacts carried by the supporting structure in positions to be electrically engaged by said slidable member when the latter is at one or the other end of its recess; two pendulums hung from the supporting structure in positions to move the slidable member in opposite directions and extending adjacent the trolley wire; with an elongated runner plate yieldingly suspended from the supporting structure adjacent but insulated from the trolley Wire and electrically connected to the slidable member.

9. The combination of a trolley contactor; a trolley wire supporting the same; span wires connected to said contactor; and an adjustable device operative between said span wires and a portion of the contactor independent of the connection between the latter and the span wires for leveling the contactor.

10. The combination of a trolley wire; a contactor having a bed-plate and mounted on said wire; lateral projections from each side of said bed-plate; span wires respectively connected to certain of said projections; with. adjusting screws mounted in certain of the projections and operative on others for adjusting the position of the contactor.

11. The combination of a trolley wire; a contactor including a bed-plate mounted thereon; fixed and pivoted projections at each side of said bed-plate; span wires connected to the hinged projections; and adjusting screws operative between each pair of fixed and hinged projections for varying the relative position of the contactor.

12. The combination in a trolley contactor of an elongated structure formed to be supported parallel with a trolley wire; a member slidablelongitudinally of saidi structure; a switch controlled by said memher; a pendulum pivoted to the structure with its upper end in position to move said member when its opposite end is engaged by a trolley wheel moving in one direction; with a runner plate electrically connected to one terminal of said switch and mounted in position to be connected to a trolley wire by a trolley wheel after the latter has caused closure of the switch by moving the pendulum.

13. The combination of an elongated structure formed to be supported longitudinally of a trolley wire; a member slidable longitudinally of said structure; switches respectively closed by said structure when the latter occupies its extreme position in either direction; two pendulums pivoted to the structure and each having its upper end positioned to move said member in a definite direction when its lower end is engaged by a trolley wheel moving in a predetermined direction; a runner plate carried by the structure between said pendulums, in position to be electrically engaged by a trolley wheel after the latter has engaged one or the other of the pendulums; with means for electrically connecting said runner plate to the switches.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLIFFORD H. MURRELL.

WVitnesses:

F. A. SINCLAIR, G. R. SNEDEGAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

